The power of analytics for public sector

Overview: Complex societal, economic, political and environmental pressures are placing intense demands on public sector organizations to make smarter decisions, deliver results and demonstrate accountability.

An unprecedented "information explosion" both facilitates and complicates the ability of governments to achieve desirable outcomes. A tremendous opportunity exists to use the growing mountain of data to make better, fact-based decisions. Yet, the volume of data and its increasingly diverse nature can also paralyze organizations.

Analytics goes beyond reporting and provides the mechanism to sort through this maelstrom of information and help governments respond with informed decisions.

How are governments and public institutions applying analytics today? What are the implications for public sector organizations? How should agencies advance their analytics competency in today's complex environment?

To answer these questions, IBM interviewed more than 100 public sector leaders from around the world and conducted extensive secondary research. This study is a first step in identifying how analytics can help address a broad range of public issues.